Receptacle holders



April 19, 1966 A. L. EWING 3,246,867

RECEPTACLE HOLDERS Filed June 19, 1964 INVENTOR ALBERT L. EWING ATTORNEY United States Patent f 3,246,867 Patented Apr. 19, 1966 3,246,867 RECEPTACLE HOLDERS Albert Lee Ewing, 837 N. Cain St., Stephenville, Tex. Filed June 19, 1964, Ser. No. 376,373 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-410) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in holders for receptacles such as cans, pails, buckets, or the like, and in particular the invention concerns itself with a holder which may be conveniently and effectively employed for supporting a paint can on a ladder.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an adjustable and selectively usable paint can holder which may be mounted on either one of the side pieces or one of the rungs of a ladder to support a can in a level position, regardless of the angle of inclination which the ladder may assume at any given time.

The can holder of the invention may be quickly and easily adjusted, readily shifted from one position on the ladder to another, is durable in construction, dependable in use, and adapted to convenient and economical manufacture.

With the foregoing more important object and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View of a ladder, showng two paint can holders of the invention, one on a rung and one on a side piece of the ladder;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged isometric view of the clamp and arms used in the holder of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the can support; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 44 in FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the numeral generally designates a conventional ladder having a pair of side pieces and a set of rungs secured thereto, one of the side pieces being shown at 11 and the rungs being shown at 12. The adjustable and selectively usable holder of the invention is designated generally by the numeral 13 and may be applied either to a side piece 11 or to a rung 12 of the ladder for supporting a paint can, illustrated by the dotted lines 14.

The holder 13 consists of two basic components, name- 1y, a lower section 13a and an upper section 13b. The lower section 13a comprises a U-shaped clamp 15 including a bight portion 15' and a pair of side portions 15", as is best shown in FIGURE 2. The clamp is preferably formed from a metal strap and one of its side portions 15" is provided with screw-threaded apertures to receive a pair of clamping screws 16, equipped with swivel pads 17, whereby the clamp may be conveniently fastened either to the ladder side piece 11 or to one of the rungs 12, as shown in FIGURE 1. A strap-like arm 18 is secured by welding to the bight portion 15 in substantially parallel relation to the side portions 15" the arm projecting outwardly from the clamp and being provided with screw-threaded apertures 19 to selectively receive a horizontal clamp screw 20. The latter is also selectively receivable in a screw-threaded aperture 2 1 formed in a second, strap-like arm 22 which is welded to the side portion 15" of the clamp opposite the screws 17, the arm 22 being disposed in a plane normal to the associated side portion and projecting therefrom at an acute angle.

The aforementioned upper section 13b of the holder consists of a can support comprising a horizontal base plate 23 which is square in form and is provided at its four edges with upturned, triangular flanges 24. A ring 25 is secured to apices of the flanges 24 by suitable means, for example by the rivets 26, so that it is disposed above the base plate 23 and encircles a paint can 14 positioned on the base plate, as will be readily apparent. The center ofthe base plate 23 is formed with an aperture depression to receive a screw 27, whereby the can support is fastened to an angle bracket 28. The depending portion of the angle bracket is apertured to receive the aforementioned clamp screw 20, by which the can support may be fastened to either the arm 18 or the arm 22 of the lower section 13a of the holder.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that by loosening the screw 20, the bracket 28 may be adjusted in a vertical plane so that the base plate 23 is horizontal to support the can 14 in a level position, regardless of the angle of inclination at which the ladder may be disposed at any particular time, and also regardless of whether the holder is attached to a side piece or to a rung of the ladder.

It will be observed that the orientation of the arms 18 and 22 relative to the clamp 15 is such that when the clamp is applied to the ladder side piece 11, the can support bracket 28 is secured by the clamp screw 20 to the arm 18, but when the clamp is applied to the rung 12, the bracket is secured to the arm 22.

While in the foregoing there has been described and shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

=1. An adjustable and selectively usable holder for supporting a paint can on a ladder having side pieces and rungs, said holder comprising in combination a Ushaped clamp adapted to be secured selectively to a ladder side piece and a ladder rung, said clamp including a bight portion and a pair of side portions, a first arm projecting from the bight portion of the clamp, a second arm projecting from one of the side portions of the clamp in diverse angular relation to said first arm, a clamp screw positionable selectively in apertures formed in the first and second arms, a support arm adjustably secured selectively to the first and second arms by said clamp screw, and a can support carried by said support arm.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said first arm on said bight portion is substantially parallel to the side portions of said clamp.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said second arm is disposed in a plane normal to the associated side portion of said clamp and extends at an acute angle therefrom.

(References on following page) Dekle 248-103 Feely et a1 248-103 Selstad 248-110 Corner 248-229 Bochard 248-210 Corcoran 248-103 Hill 248-129 Ahrold 248-146 10 Morin ,248-129 4 Dempsey 248-29 X Kukla 248-229 Dicks 248-210 Landis et a1 248-154 Deakin 248-314 X Anderson et a1 248-210 Italy.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary-Examiner. 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE AND SELECTIVELY USABLE HOLDER FOR SUPPORTING A PAINT CAN ON A LADDER HAVING SIDE PIECES AND RUNGS, SAID HOLDER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A U-SHAPED CLAMP ADAPTED TO BE SECURED SELECTIVELY TO A LADDER SIDE PIECE AND A LADDER RUNG, SAID CLAMP INCLUDING A BIGHT PORTION AND A PAIR OF SIDE PORTIONS, A FIRST ARM PROJECTING FROM THE BIGHT PORTION OF THE CLAMP, A SECOND ARM PROJECTING FROM ONE OF THE SIDE PORTIONS OF THE CLAMP IN DIVERSE ANGULAR RELATION TO SAID FIRST ARM, A CLAMP SCREW POSITIONABLE SELECTIVELY IN APERTURES FORMED IN THE FIRST AND SECOND ARMS, A SUPPORT ARM ADJUSTABLY SECURED SELECTIVELY TO THE FIRST AND SECOND ARMS BY SAID CLAMP SCREW, AND A CAN SUPPORT CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT ARM. 